No matter what happens: Scene Insert X2
by realitydeprived
Summary: Jean makes Logan promise her something. He agrees because he knows… it just couldn’t happen. Right? Right. Rated T for mild coarse language.


**Author:** _Astro_

**Pairing:** _No strict pairing. Logan. Jean. Mentions of Scott._

**Timeline:** _X-2 movieverse, after Jean and Logan's kiss at the 'camp'. _

**Warnings:** _Spoilers if you haven't seen X-2 (blasphemy!), but otherwise, none. Unless you count Gen as a warning :P_

**Summary:** _Jean makes Logan promise her something. He agrees because he knows… it just couldn't happen. Right? Right._

**Word count:** 1400

**A/N:** Written off a whim. It was meant to be a drabble to exercise my 'Logan voice' but I kiiiinda got carried away, and it kiiinda turned out to be much longer than just a drabble. This is something I would like to imagine taking place after the kiss scene between Jean and Logan at the camp with Magneto after discussing Stryker's plan. Feedback muchos appreciated :))

**Disclaimer:** _Marvel/Fox owns X-Men and the movies. I only own my words._

--

"… About before. I'm sorry." I didn't mean it. And I'm damn sure she knew.

"It's nothing…" She wasn't looking directly at me… she was distracting herself by flicking off invisible dust from the X-Jet's control panel. Yet there was no change in her heart rate… and I couldn't pick up perspiration either. She was telling the truth.

I found myself more cut with her words than any of the shattered glass or serrated metal that found its way under my skin throughout the years. I half snorted and half laughed inwardly, amused and revolted by the surfacing of this sappy pup side I never knew I had in me.

I don't even know why I still came when she asked me to. She obviously made herself clear. She was in love with jockstrap, and there wasn't a thing I could do to change that. Gotta admire the commitment though, pretty rare nowadays, what with loyalty being an optional extra in a relationship and all.

"I asked you to come here for… something else."

I cocked a brow, not knowing just what to expect. The corner of my mouth rose slightly, which was signal enough for her to skim my mind and shove my (animalistic) thoughts down my throat before I could even come up with a remark only a chronic asshole like me could come up with.

"Logan… that's not what I meant." Her face was dead straight. Serious.

If I wasn't as stray as I was, my back would've been stiffer than a slab of concrete in that instant. But I was a stray… and I wasn't no Cyclops. I had a front to keep, and as much of an asshole I came off, it was the only thing in my life I had a hold of… I could really, really control.

Jean saw through that somehow (or maybe I let her), and I found myself becoming more malleable… around her anyway. Still pissed One-eye off to no end… but something about him, just asked to be broken into. Anger, vengeance… begging. Even the thought satisfies me to no end. And let's not forget that I am a sadistic bastard, with sadistic urges.

I forced myself to get back on the subject… whatever that was. "Why'd you call me then?"

I looked at her expectantly and my gaze was met with a subtle frown on her part, which she corrected almost immediately like it was some sort of mistake. I could smell the fear from her, and it nearly made me gag. Nearly. The cool, assertive and independent Doctor Grey… afraid?

"Look… if you don't wanna talk about it-"

"Promise me something…" she interrupted.

Her eyes grinded through me like adamantium through titanium. They wandered over my face, expecting me to accept (or reject) her. Fucking telepaths… as if she didn't know what my damn answer would be.

"Anything."

That look she hid… of worry. It colored her face right outside the lines. She knitted her brows together trying to suppress what seemed like a mild headache… the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end from her telekinesis. It stopped as fast as it surfaced and she regained her composure without much effort. She swirled the pilot's seat with her hand (from 2 feet away) and sat down while motioning with her other hand to take the co pilot seat.

"I'd rather stand." I said. Made me feel more grounded. She nodded and continued from where she left off.

"I've only told Scott about this…"

Brilliant. Boy Scout found his way into our conversation.

She continued. "I've… been having nightmares these past few months."

I think I realized that when I could hear an earthquake happening in the school at 3 in the morning, but I held my tongue and let her continue.

"These nightmares… something… bad, is going to happen. I can feel it."

I felt weight on my shoulders and she hadn't even gotten to what she meant by this 'promise'.

"Logan. I think the time is coming close…"

"…" I didn't want to hear what I had a feeling she was going to say.

"When we infiltrate Stryker's base… if anything happens, to me-"

"Don't even say that." I growled, though not meaning to. "Nothing bad's gonna happen to you…" I straightened my stance and finally took that seat next to her. I could hear her heart hasten and I could even hear the throbbing of her eardrums in my own. "Jean… nothing's gonna happen to you." I reassured. Maybe she was just raw because of the kid and Chuck being taken…

She quickly broke her gaze and pulled away from conversation. I could smell salty tears building up in her tear ducts and sure enough, she wiped it off with her hand a split second after. There was silence for a while… it felt as cold and flat as the insides of this Jet. She just sat there, posed like Rodin's thinker, trying to calm herself down. I leaned my elbows on my knee. I didn't know what to say to… comfort… her. I never really was the comforting type and I was never the type that knew how to hold conversation neither. I placed my hand on her shoulder until her breathing levelled enough for her to continue.

"Every night… I dream of Scott. You. The Professor. Storm. In pain, Logan. In pain…"

"It's just a dream—"

"Then I see myself… saving all of you. Fire… then water… lots of water."

"Jean—"

"Scott's going to take it the worst… that's why I asked you up here. I want you to promise me… that you'll take care of Scott… no matter what happens."

"It's not going to lead to that…" I was growing more irritated as I grit my teeth, but there was no stopping her from seeing this through til the end.

"I know you don't want to believe me. I don't want to either… but this dream has been haunting me every night. Every. Single. Night. It means something… I know it does. Deep down, I know it does."

I knew then and there that I couldn't fight her determination and her will. I knew then and there that I couldn't talk her out of thinking that way… And in turn, I only nodded and sighed, gripping her shoulder a little bit tighter as my eyes fell to the ground and this coarse emotion of… regret… washed over me. Like I should still be fighting her defeat…

"Logan… please. Promise me…"

"…" I didn't say anything. I didn't think I needed to… she had already read my mind and knew my answer.

Her eyes watered up, still tense, still stubborn. "I need to hear you say it…."

I sighed… I don't know if it was out of defeat or out of mercy. But I knew it'd put her out of her own personal misery… "I already have…"

Her eyes closed, and a tear traced the tender surface of her delicate face as it fell to her lap…

"Thank you… thank you." She said. Relief laced her voice…

Right now, I didn't know what to say or how to act. But she seemed to pick it up and placed her arms around me out of thanks, I supposed. I sat there, limp, and still not knowing what to do. Her head rose from my shoulder to my forehead as she placed the only kiss that I knew she was willing to give me above my brow.

Slowly, she stood up and looked at me again… she was smiling this time. The same smile lit her face the first time I saw her, after I arrived back from my eight month search around Alkali Lake and its surrounding towns.

She said something, but I was too caught up in my own thoughts to hear her. It was probably something along the lines of 'Good night,' since she turned around and walked back down to the camp. Her voice was still echoing in my mind… 'Thank you…'

I sat there silently, reflecting on the conversation that Jean and I had to have. I reassured myself nothing was gonna happen, that this was all just some kind of misinterpretation. I kept saying that it wasn't set in stone. No one would have to lose her…

…so why didn't I believe it?

--

_Reviews are appreciated. ^_^_


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